But a source close to the council said the reshuffle had gained “the majority” of members’ support and those who were appointed to the interim senior posts were willing to take up the jobs to improve governance.
Hong Kong’s chief executive, who also serves as the top university’s chancellor, was urged on Thursday to bring the two factions together and come up with a remedial plan, with the group warning that tensions were affecting the institution’s daily operations.
“We are deeply concerned about the recent decision made by the university council to speedily appoint several interim vice-presidents without consulting the vice-chancellor,” they said in a public letter. “We hope the chancellor can take decisive actions and calm the storm as soon as possible.”
The Chief Executive’s Office said on Thursday that it had already asked the Education Bureau to look into the incident and report back to Lee, with such efforts currently under way.
“The University of Hong Kong is a successful institution of higher learning in Hong Kong, and the public has high expectations for the university to have good governance,” a spokesman said.
The reshuffle also effectively demoted Zhang’s right-hand man, deputy vice-chancellor Richard Wong Yue-chim, who has been serving as the school’s interim provost since 2019.
The eight, who include former education minister Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun, also slammed university council chairwoman Priscilla Wong Pui-sze for her role in the saga. She and Zhang reportedly have a tense relationship.
“[We] have lost confidence in the management ability of the council chairwoman,” the group wrote.
The signatories also argued against authorities accepting the reshuffle as it would give the impression the government was trying to manipulate the university and bypass its president through the appointment of the council chairman, an idea that would harm the city’s international image.
The eight also include ex-lawmaker Choy So-yuk and former university council member Man Cheuk-fei.
The source close to the council told the Post the reshuffle plan was supported by most council members and also the newly appointed academics, as they would not have accepted if they disagreed with the move.
“Few people paid attention to why the reshuffle could get passed in the council,” the insider said. “The council members are all respected and hold senior management posts. Why did the majority of them support the reshuffle? The ones who received the appointment are also prestigious professors.”
HKU president Zhang on Wednesday slammed the surprise reshuffle of his senior management team, saying it “disregarded the fundamentals of good governance” and that it “severely undermined” the institution’s academic autonomy.
Tensions between Zhang and the council surfaced last year when the president was accused of misconduct and mismanagement.
